Thursday, October 16, 2008

Booking Through Thursday: What's Sitting on Your Shelf?

"Avid readers know all too well how easy it is to acquire books — it’s the letting go that’s the difficult part. … During the past 20 years, in which books have played a significant role in both my personal and professional lives, I’ve certainly had my fair share of them (and some might say several others’ shares) in my library. Many were read and saved for posterity, others eventually, but still reluctantly, sent back out into the world.

But there is also a category of titles that I’ve clung to for years, as they survived numerous purges, frequent library donations and countless changes of residence. I’ve yet to read them, but am absolutely certain I will. And should. When, I’m not sure, as I’m constantly distracted by the recent, just published and soon to be published works."

So, the question is his: “What tomes are waiting patiently on your shelves?"

Great article...I can completely relate to this question, having dutifully carried several titles with me from city to city, ever optimistic that they will, indeed, someday be read. But, on reflection, as a lot, they're completely random choices, making me wonder a) why I bought them and b) why I'm hanging on to them.

Here are three of mine:

What I Lived For by Joyce Carol Oates

Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis

Wobegon Boy by Garrison Keiller

These had to have all been bargain buys over the years, books I didn't really care about to begin with. Usually when I buy a book, it's something I have really been waiting on, and it doesn't last long before it's read.

6 comments:

The one I've got staring at me is The Gone-Away World - when I requested it I had no idea it was sci-fi/fantasy type stuff. Other bloggers have said they can't get through it, so I haven't even tried yet.

I've read Glamorama, it was good but definitely not BEE's best. I preferred American Psycho and Rules Of Attraction. Less Than Zero was also very good and has a movie version starring McCarthy, Downey and Spader.